Actuating means



Ju1y16,1946. E, E. HAPER i 2,404,288-

. ACTUATING MEANS Filed Feb.- 9, 1944y i i' INVENToR.

firme/ver.

Patented July 16, 1946 2,404,288V ACTUATING MEANS Elmer E. Harper, Monrovia, Calif.; Esther Pardee J Harper-, executrin of saidElmer E. Harper, de-

' ceased .Application February 9, 1944, Serial No. 521,597

' 1 Claim.

y The present inventionpertans to valves and valve mechanism, and theprimary purpose of the invention'is to provide an improved type of packless'valve'construction together with appropriate operating connections adapted to function as hereinafter described. l

i Accordingly one of the principal objects in View is to devise a construction in which valve stem packing is eliminated by the use of a combination of tube and rod elements so arranged as to develop a torque action in effecting the operating or control functionas required, .This result may beaccomplished by a combination of the tube and rod elements arranged one inside the other, whereby the rod element operates as a direct medium for transmission of the control action while the outer tube (by being connected with the rod at one Yend but independently xed or anchored at its other end) opposesthe rotation of the rod, thereby introducing its torque action as a factor inthe operation, in an effective manner.

" In v carrying out the invention, it is a further object to provide a construction ofthe character indicated in which the operating or control function maybe transmitted in either direction, depending uponthe type of duty to which it is to beapplied. The construction is further adapted for eithery manual or automatic control or regulation.

It is also an object of my invention toprovider a simplified and yet strong and sturdy construction of relatively few parts adapted to be assembled together and operated in a foolproof manner.v To'this end the construction is comprised of operating connections adapted to withstand very heavy ,external pressures while sacrificing no advantages as to accuracy and sensitiveness of operation.' f

The improvements are intended to be especially useful in connection with operations involving thehandling of corrosive substances, such as in the feeding of chlorine materials and the like, though in no wise limited to such operations.

Withthe foregoing general object in View, as well as minor objects as will hereinafter appear, the invention will now be more specifically de scribed by reference to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a practical form of apparatus which has been found satisfactory for the embodiment of my proposed improvements, after i which those features and combinations deemed to be both novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawingyFigure l is a top planl View showing a packless valve unit embodying the present improvements-,certain portions Aof the housing structure being broken away to disclose parts on the terior;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional' Y 2 view, representing a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View, being asection taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is an' elevation showing one end of the unit.

Referring now to the drawingfin detaiLthe improved .construction is illustrated as comprising a valve bodyor housing l0 forming an" interior valve compartmentor chamber l2, at one end of which is provided an outlet or dischargetting lll,A and adjacent to the same end of the compartment is also provided -a suitable inlet fitting I6, illustrated as held in place by screws ,|8- see Figure fl.

The inlet fitting I6 is formed with a sleeve 20 projecting inside the chamber or. compartment l2 and terminating in a valve seat 22 fora needie valve 24 which is mounted vaxiallyin alvalve spool 26 and held in place therein bym'eans ofa Y somewhat loose connection' with a pin 2T and,

as shown, the axial bore of the spool 26 is .slightly oversize for the valve element 24 to permitflimited lateral play of the needle valve forvalve-seating purposes.

One end of the valve spool 26 is slotted and engages slidingly with the end of the sleeve 20, while the opposite end of said spool is reduced and mounted slidingly ina vertical slot 28 in the side wall of the housing |0 and above and below this end of the spool a pair of adjusting screws 29 may be employed for maintaining the spool in horizontal alinement with the sleeve 2U, and moreover the horizontal depth of the slot 28 is sufficient to permit .the longitudinal sliding movement of the spool as required `for the opening and closing action of the valve (see Figure 3).

The valve spool 26 is provided with one or more annular slots or grooves BIJthel Ydrawing illustrating two ofsuch slots or grooves, which' are spaced a suitable distance apart for separate engagement with key lugs or lingers 32 formed on blocks' or brackets 34 which are drilled to fit over the ends of a pair of torque tubes 36. Each of the torque tubes 36 is equipped with a rod or shaft 38 having free fitting relation Within the tube and secured thereto as well as to the corresponding block or bracketl 34 by a common pin 40. As illustrated in Figure 3, the inner end of each tube is plugged with a sealing material 42 and removably journaled in an opening 43 in the end wall ofthe housing I @,and its opposite end is securely and permanently anchoredA as well'as sealed within an opening 44 in `a removable endl vplate 4S forming the opposite end wall of the chamber or compartment `|72 and held in'place by suitable screws 41,v f

The rods or shafts 38 project out and beyond the outer ends of the tubes 36, and are secured to a crank assembly 48 which is provided with y l split clamping lugs i) purpose, as illustrated in Figure 4. The top portion Vof the crank assembly includes a bar or link pivotally`connected with the crank arms as shown in Figures 1 and 4 and having an opening 52 for removable engagement with one endgj of a pivoted operating lever 54 for which a fulcrum pin 56 is provided on the upper face of'ethe` housing l0, said lever extending longitudinally l over the'housing and havingr its Vopposite enden-L gaged by ay coilspring element 58 which tends Y normally to transmit a valve-closing movement and screws 5| for that,`

. ,which-'develops friction with` highly yvariable to said lever; and for `counteracting said spring* action the opposite side of the lever is engaged,

by the tip of an operating or adjusting screw 60 threaded through an. upright bracket element. 62,. Akeeper member 64 extending loosely through an. opening 65 inthe lever 54 andV through the coil spring .58 is anchored at its opposite ends in the bracket element 621and another bracket element 66 on the top of the housing member l 0- seeFigures 1 and.4. Y A top inspection opening 68 is provided .over the sliding valve spool 26, and a removable cover plate Vlllis secured oversaid opening. by means of suitable screws 12, as illustrated in Figures 1and'2., f

Itjwill be understood that by Vmeans of the foregoing construction the movements of the lever 54 will be transmitted through the crank assembly 48 to the tube and. rod elements 36 and 38, in which aA torque. or twisting action is produced, with theresult that some-rotation of the Ykey or vlug elementsv 32 is likewise produced, thereby effecting a sliding longitudinal movement ofthe valve.V spool and its needle valvev 24. The arrangementdescribed is that which is adapted to produce opening movement of the valve as the lever 54 is moved against the pressure of the spring 58; and since said spring tends to seat the valve in closed position it is apparent. that by adjusting the screw. 60 in counteraction -to said spring v`the valve can be operated either intoclo'sed position or set and maintained in open or any given. partly open position, as may jbe required. In addition to being manually controlled in this manner, it is. also apparent that the valve maybe operated entirely automatically by. completely retracting (or dispensing with) the screw and attaching a conventional control connection,V such as indicated at, in Figure 1, to the operating .lever 54 at a suitable point, for operating the valve in `conjunction with other control mechanism,as is often required in. plants employing chemical feeding devices (as. in water purificationV plants) for vwhich the present improvements are particularly well adapted.

It is obvious that a packless valve structure of this type affords decided advantages over certain prior packless valve constructions, such as those of theV diaphragm type, as illustrated in .my Patent No. 2,293,647, dated August 18, 1942. The` present improved device is not only simpler but stronger construction, and is adapted to operate under much heavier externalpressures by virtue of the combination torque tube and internal rodor shaft insuring against any collapse of such transmitting elements while at the same time maintaining a high degree of sensitiveness in the control function.. e n

Moreover the improved method of. operation means.

effects fand. in many cases preventing. 4free response of the valve to the nexternal actuating For this reason the entire absence of such packing in the improved construction renders the same especially suitable for automatic and proportional control applications.

The exampleY of construction illustrated in the drawing showsv a plurality of-torque tube and shaft combinations in parallel, but it is to be understood that a single tube and rod or shaft asl sernloly` may be employed, if desired, when the operating conditions are not severe, or too great stresses are. not imposed. The combination of a plurality of such assemblies in anyY required number provides a flexible means of meeting any operating'V conditions in a most practical manner.

Incidentally it may be pointed out that as regards the transmitting function of the torque i action,. it is immaterial in whichdirection the transmitting action is taking place, and that the direction may be reversed under some conditions, as where. the exterior .parts might be employed in connection-with indicating means actuated from within the housingchamber to denote movements of a float or the like inside said chamber.

The, materials employed in the foregoing construction will be such. as. are appropriate for the conditions. to.. be encountered, and where corro.- sivev substances are tovvbe handled the construe.- tion will be of-v sucha vcharacter as to withstand the corrosive action o f such materials. Accordingly, the torque tube may be of hard silver un. der some conditions, or simply of plastic material under other conditions; the rod or shaft may beofbronze, or silver-plated steel construction, and theother yinterior .partsmay be of suitprovides a substantially frictionless transmission of the operative action .to the valve member; this able materials having non-corrosive properties where necessary.y VThe casing or housing Ill may -be of cast brass, or of plastic construction,'or a cast iron. jacket may be used having a lining of an appropriate material. .A

Fromthe foregoing, therefore, it will be. clear that I- have devised a practical and highly efflcient construction for carrying out the stated purposesof my invention, and that the described embodiment of the improvements may of course be varied toy adaptthe same to meet varying conditions and requirements of operation; accordingly I desire to'be understood asgexpressly reserving the. right to make whatever changes or/ modifications mayV properly be deemed, to fall within the spirit and scope of .my invention as dened in the appendedy claim.

HavingA described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

Actuating means of the character described comprising, a. movable element, an operating member, and torque transmission means compris'- ing a plurality of torque assemblies in parallel relation and each comprising` a torque tube and shaft rod enclosed thereby and connected atcorresponding ends and also operatively engaged with said movable element. for jointly actuating the same, the other ends of the tube and. rod .of each of said assemblies being respectively anchored in fixed positionrand. connectedwith said 

